Town police officials and the sheriff's department have often been at odds in recent years, in particular over the organization and operation of a joint dispatch center. Beach alluded to those issues in giving his reasons for running.

"There has to be a willingness to work with other people," he said. "I think I can bring that to the sheriff's department. We want to bring professionalism back into the sheriff's department. That's something that's not there at this time."

Beach specifically said he sees a lack of cooperation with other police and rescue agencies as a flaw of the sheriff's department.

Beach, 46, grew up in Hampton and graduated from Kecoughtan High School in 1975. He worked in Louisiana as a Merchant Marines captain in the late 1970s and early 1980s before coming back to Hampton Roads as an officer with the Virginia Marine Resource Commission in 1985.

He started as a patrol officer in Smithfield in 1988, and is now the department's criminal investigator and certified crime-prevention specialist.

Patrick Lynch can be reached at 357-4138 or by e-mail at plynch@dailypress.com